Albus Potter and the Hidden Dark Lord
by booklover4life101
Summary: Albus Severus Potter can't wait to start his first year at Hogwarts! But why is he being followed by a mysterious stranger? Who truly is the headmaster of Hogwarts? Why do all the pureblood's keep on disappearing? Followed by mystery and danger, Albus's first year is one he won't ever forget!
1. Chapter 1: New Begininngs

**Chapter One: New Beginnings**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will ever own the Harry Potter series. All rights go to J.K. Rowling**_

_"The scar had not pained Harry for 19 years. All was well"._

Albus Severus Potter smoothened out his mop of untidy ink-black hair nervously, his bright green eyes shining with a mingled look of happiness and excitement as he leaped up on the train after James, his older brother.

James grinned as he weaved his way through the tangle of students, all who seemed to know him and waved cheerfully.

Three boys rushed towards James, laughing as they pushed their way towards him.

"Hey!" a tall boy with dreadlocks rushed towards James.

"Aiden! Got any more pranks brewing up?" James greeted his friend with a smile and a playful punch on his arm.

"Albus, Rose, this is Aiden Jordan, my fellow prankster! Aiden, meet my little cousin and brother!"

"Hi," Rose squeaked nervously.

"Hey," Albus said uncertainly.

"Hello little firsties!" Aiden grinned.

"These are my friends, Lysander and Lorcan!" Aiden and James presented them with a sweeping bow. The two boys were obviously identical twins, with dreamy looks on their face and silver eyes. They both seemed to peer into the depths of Albus's soul.

"Nice to meet you," Albus ventured, Rose nodding in agreement.

Lysander nodded, smiling before his eyes returned to their thoughtful look.

"OK, save me a compartment, I'll be back," James yelled over his shoulder as he ushered Rose and Albus towards the back of the train.

He slid open a carriage door and heaved Albus's trunk into the narrow train compartment. Albus's owl hooted indignantly, flapping her snowy-white wings.

"It's all right, Hedwig," Albus placed a hand over the cage. He still didn't understand why his Dad had recommended him the name Hedwig, only to say his old owl had been named that. Where was she now?

Rose's cat, Poppy, hissed, her ginger face scowling in disapproval.

Albus groaned. Crookshanks had never seen to like him, and her kitten seemed to have inherited that gene.

James glanced back at Albus inching away from Poppy and laughed, his hazel eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Hogwarts is great! Now calm down-you'll only have to battle a troll to get sorted," he said quite seriously, pushing them into a cozy train compartment before running off to meet his friends.

"WHAT?" Albus shouted, staring at the door. He shivered at the thought.

A gentle creak as the train began to whistle reverberated through the train. Albus rushed towards the window and began to wave, watching as his Dad and Mum walked alongside until the train began to pick up speed, and his parents stopped and waved until he could see them no longer.

A _swish _was heard as the compartment door opened. A tall boy stood framed in the doorway.

"Err, do you mind if I sit here?" he asked, his pale face tinted with a rosy hue.

"All the other compartments are filled," he lied quickly, his pointed face awash with embarrassment from his previous encounter.

"Sure!" Albus cheerfully smiled.

Rose moved over, making sure not to wrinkle the brand-new Hogwarts robes she had on. She noticed the boy was wearing his Hogwarts robes too, but his seemed finer and somehow more blacker, if that was even possible.

"What's your name?" Rose asked.

"Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy," he said proudly.

"What's yours?" he inquired curiously.

"I'm Albus Severus Potter, and that's my cousin-"

"Rose Weasley" she finished.

Scorpius's eyes widened almost imperceptibly at the mention of their last names.

"Fabulous. My Dad was enemies with their parents and they happen to be the only nice people on this train," he thought gloomily, but he shook it off.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him!" he hoped.

Rose looked at Scorpius. She couldn't shake off a nagging feeling she was missing something, especially when he looked so upset because of their last names.

"Nice to meet you," he managed to say, his brain on constant alert.

"So, what's your favorite quidditch position?" Albus questioned Scorpius, who seemed to light up instantly.

"Definitely Chaser," he replied.

"I wish 1st years could have their own team," he said longingly.

"Same here!" Albus grinned. Hopefully he had found a new friend.

"Did you hear about the new Headmaster? Apparently Professor McGonagall decided to retire from her post. She's still teaching transfiguration though!" Rose added in.

"Really?" chorused Scorpius and Albus.

"What if he lets us start our own Dueling Club?" Albus said excitedly.

"Or create an official library day?" Rose added in.

"What if he lets us have a prank war?" Scorpius smiled at the prospect.

"That would be brilliant!" Albus agreed, laughing at the idea.

The three added more ideas like having a surprise birthday party for the professors or designing their own "Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans" flavor, which led to an animated discussion about the best magical candy.

Their friendly chatter was only disrupted by an old kindly witch who was pushing a large food trolley laden with sweets.

"Now what would you like?" she asked.

"Chocolate Frogs,"

"Cauldron Cakes,"

"Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans," was the mingled reply. Soon Rose was poring over a chocolate frog card of Albus Dumbledore, while Scorpius was daring Albus to eat a disgustingly gray bean.

Albus nibbled off the corner and made a face.

"Pepper," he told Scorpius in disgust.

Soon darkness fell, an inky-blackness that seeped over the land and waited outside the brightly-lit train compartment.

Albus pulled on his Hogwarts robes. He checked outside, peering into the gloomy mist.

Suddenly a cool, female voice began to speak, startling the three. "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train; it will be taken to the school separately."

They shared a nervous glance.

"Should we go then?" Rose asked, her face paler than chalk.

"I guess so," Albus mumbled timidly.

The trio made their way across the crowd, all who seemed to stop and gawk at them, especially Albus.

"Firs' Years, Firs' Years over here! Min' yer step ther'!" a loud booming voice made its way across the sea of swarming students.

Albus gulped. He knew Hagrid, the gamekeeper because his Dad and Uncle had often times talked greatly of him. He didn't know he would be so _loud._

Scorpius, Rose, and Albus gaped at the sight of the giant approaching them. He had a large tangled beard and coarse shaggy hair that obscured most of him. Beetle like eyes peered warmly at them amid the tangled mess as he swung a large lantern from side to side.

He chuckled, a deep throaty bellow that rose from his enormous stomach at the very sight of them, shivering and pressing against one another.

Leaping shadows from the deep yellow glow of the lantern cast their way on trees that arched high above them and pressed their spindly branches into the well-worn path.

Tripping and slipping, they made their way down the narrow, winding slope, Hagrid pausing every now and then to make sure they were alright.

"Firs' look at Hogwarts now!" Hagrid exclaimed in delight, as if he too was a first-year himself.

"Wow," Albus breathed.

"It's spectacular," Rose marveled at the sight.

"Brilliant," Scorpius whispered in awe.

The path which had left them stumbling and tripping had seemed to explode into a wide shore right before their eyes. A glassy black lake stood silent and still, and fleets of chipped brown boats stood patiently waiting.

But it wasn't that that made them utterly speechless.

It was the majestic castle, black as night itself, perched atop a rocky mountain. Towers and turrets soared gracefully into the sky. Golden windows glinted amid the starry skies. For a minute, there was silence, stillness undisturbed as the 11-years olds reveled in the grand sight, a phenomenon like no other.

"Four to a boat!" Hagrid's welcoming cry shattered the silence, but gave the first-years a thrill of excitement. Shouting and yelling, they all clambered into the boats.

Scorpius, Rose, and Albus sat impatiently waiting as another 1st year clambered aboard. He was plump, and sported a fair amount of blonde hair that fell to his shoulders. His small watery blue eyes darted every which way.

He looked, Albus decided, like a pig in a wig.

The fleet of boats began to move, silently making their way over the dark black lake. They passed through with nothing more than the gentle whisper of the boat skimming the surface of the lake.

As they neared the castle, everybody gaped at the looming mass, which from far away had been massive, was now infinitely times so.

"Heads down now!" Hagrid shouted as they passed through a curtain of ivy. The green plant tickled Albus's neck, but he forced himself not to laugh. They continued in a type of dark underground tunnel. Rose latched on to his hand tightly, her fingernails digging into his wrist.

Soon they climbed out of the boats and walked forward, hearing the gentle crunch of the gravel underneath their feet. They climbed up again. Albus, almost exhausted from the steepness of it, was relieved when it leveled out and they could feel the smooth, damp grass tickling the ends of their shoes.

The shadow of the castle loomed in front of them, a dark foreboding presence. Hagrid raised his gigantic fist and with a resounding "BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!" knocked three times on the immense wooden doors that led into the castle.


	2. Chapter 2: The Wedding

**Chapter Two: The Wedding:**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will ever own the Harry Potter series. _**

**(A.N. I am co-authoring this story with my friend, who loves Harry Potter as well! We've been busy for a while, so please excuse the long span of time before updates! We'll try our best to get the next chapter quicker!)**

_15 Years Before:_

Now, Ickle Duddykins, everything's planned out, so don't you worry, dear…"

Dudley Dursley slouched on the couch opposite his Mother. His large, meaty hands flipped through a new magazine as he tuned out his mother's continuous chatter.

"The wedding will be at 3:00 tomorrow so…" Dudley heard the words float through his brain as he examined a particularly fast motorcycle in the pages. It took him a moment to process the words.

"WHAT!" he shouted, leaping to his feet and shattering a horrifyingly pink vase on the coffee-table.

His mum looked irked. She smoothed out her cocktail-pink dress, her hands shaking excitedly.

"The wedding, the wedding," she told him, her hands flying every which way as she continued on in a shrill, high voice, "Your father and I have planned everything out, it's to be at 3:00 tomorrow, so arrive at 10:00. The food will arrive at 12:00, the-"

"But-but-but," Dudley stammered, clearly at a loss for words.

"Who am I marrying?" he choked out.

Meanwhile….

"Now, young lady, there is absolutely no reason at all to mope. You are marrying this agreeable fellow, Dudley Dursley!" a women, her back erect, and a firm look on her wrinkled face glared down at her young daughter.

"I'm 22 years old! I should-"the girl was cut off by an annoyed huff.

"Like, when you decided to never use magic again! Obviously you haven't learned to make your own decisions yet!" she shot back.

"I'm sticking to that!" the 22-year old was now furious, but tears glistened in her eyes.

"Fine! But you are marrying Dudley, whether you like it or not!" the woman gave a menacing glare and then strode off.

The Next Day:

Dudley straightened his tie nervously. The wedding was almost over, thank God.

The priest spoke in an old, deep voice: "Do you, Dudley Dursley, take Cho Chang as your wife?"

"I do," he replied.

**(A.N. I'd love some reviews, especially because this is my first fanfiction! Constructive Criticism would be greatly appreciated! As soon as summer starts, which is in like a week, I'll try to update every day, but until then, no updates! Sorry!)**


	3. Chapter 3: The Sorting

**Chapter Three: The Sorting:**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own, in any way, the Harry Potter series. Some parts of this chapter are taken from _****_Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, _****_but all rights go to J.K. Rowling._**

**_(A.N. Sorry, I haven't updated in so long! I'll try to keep daily updates now summer has started! Please Review-Constructive Criticism is always welcomed!)_**

The gigantic wooden doors opened, and with every single second ticking away, Albus could feel his heart beating faster and faster.

Blinking once or twice, Scorpius tried to adjust his eyes to the brightly lit hall inside the castle.

His jaw almost hit the floor. The entrance hall was huge, almost the size of Malfoy Manor.

Flames of fire danced and leaped in blackened torches on the stone wall. A marble staircase stood proudly off to the wall, its structure like a strand of DNA.

Across the hall, large mahogany doors stood firmly closed, but Scorpius could hear laughter and amiable chatter from behind them. The delicious smell of freshly-baked pastries and wonderful food wafted through the doors and made the nervous student's stomach's growl.

"Professor McGonagall, the firs' yers," Hagrid said quietly, bowing his head politely.

"Thank you, Hagrid," her voice was strong and powerful, washing over the first years like a tide over sand.

She led the first-years inside.

Rose saw a woman with stormy eyes and a tight, thin mouth. The hem of her long, emerald-green cloak just skimmed the polished marble floor. She glanced at the new first years, her eyes sweeping past faces.

Scorpius didn't know why, but he thought he saw her focus particularly on Albus, who was a bit preoccupied in loosening Rose's hand from his wrist without attracting attention. A jealous pang shot through him and he glared at the professor.

He was surprised though, when she saw him standing next to Albus and she gave an almost unnoticeable gasp.

As their shoes squelched against the floor, leaving mud and filth everywhere, they followed Professor McGonagall to a small, rather plain chamber.

There she began to speak, her voice strong but Rose thought she detected a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

""**Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room."**

"**The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours. **

"**The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting." **

"**I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." ***

Albus nervously tried to flatten down his hair, which seemed to spring back up in an untidy clump the moment his hands left it. He sighed. This was definitely one of the bad traits he had inherited from his dad. Why couldn't he be more like James?

He took a deep breath to calm his pounding heart and looked around.

Two identical twins, stood close to each other, their eyes wide and uncertain. A sandy-haired boy with freckles dotted all over his face seemed to be muttering something under his breath.

A young girl, her hair a pretty color of chocolate-brown, stood quietly, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. She resembled the boy, but there were a few differences. Her eyes held a look of excitement, without a trace of fear.

Albus felt a new pang of dread shoot up to him. If he felt this scared right now, how was he ever going to be sorted into Gryffindor?

A sudden scream disrupted his ravaging thoughts: "AHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the boy with freckles and sandy-colored hair uttered an ear-splitting cry and jumped back in terror as misty figures floated through the stone walls.

"Oh, hello there!" a rather plump, monk-like ghost smiled kindly at the frightened first-years.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" a woman's voice, high and pure greeted them warmly. She smiled down at them, her waist-length hair bobbing gently as she dipped her head towards them politely.

"Now, please move along now, the sorting ceremony is about to begin," Professor McGonagall said irritably.

Rose gulped. She felt queasy and not at all brave.

"Single-file line! Now, come, follow me!" Professor McGonagall opened the mahogany doors and strode into the Great Hall.

Albus saw long wooden tables laden with golden goblets and plates. There seemed to be four of these tables. Silver candles floated merrily in midair, their bright glow illuminating the gigantic hall.

One gigantic table stood at the very end of the hall, horizontal and filled with adults of all sizes.

He saw Hagrid squeezing into a special large chair before winking cheerfully at Albus and Rose.

Professor Longbottom stood helping Professor McGonagall set up an old, three-legged stool. He perched a torn, frayed and dirty black hat on the stool.

Albus frowned. "Is this what Dad mentioned before I left?" he thought to himself. "A sorting cap or hat?"

Suddenly, a rip near the brim of the hat opened wide and out came a grave and somber tune.

"Listen closely, for I can only warn once,

A breath of doom,

Lurks around each and every corner,

And danger is inevitable, so band together,

Or lose everything and everyone,

Come and join the adventurous and brave Gryffindor's,

Whose noble spirit rests in the Lion's heart,

Or maybe you are sensible, loyal, and determined beyond your years?

For we need those bright Hufflepuff's, to light our path in these dark times,

Or do you believe "Wit Beyond Measure is Man's Greatest Treasure!"?

Sharp Ravenclaw's and their thirst to learn,

Will only lead us to victory!

Or perhaps you are clever, and your ambition will surely find you a place,

In Slytherin!

Their will and spirit shall drive us on,

Through the most discouraging of times,

So I shall see what noble house you fit,

For I am THE SORTING HAT!"

The hat bellowed the last few words, and the hall broke into laughter, but it quickly died away, and whispers spread across the Hall like wildfire, wondering about the Sorting Hat's strange message.

Rose saw Professor McGonagall nod discreetly at Professor Longbottom, and then enter a door at the far right of the hall.

"Hello! Ready to be sorted? As soon as I call your name, please come forward and place the hat on your head and sit on the stool!" Professor Longbottom bellowed loudly yet clearly.

He unfolded a large roll of parchment and began calling out names:

"BOOT, TIMOTHY!" a tall boy with bright blue glasses gingerly slipped on the hat and sat on the stool. The hat took it's time as one minute dragged on to forever for the impatient 1st years.

Finally, "RAVENCLAW!" was announced and the table on the middle and to the left exploded into cheers and applause.

"CORTAN, OLIVIA!" a girl with piercing brown eyes put the hat on eagerly.

The hat barely grazed her shoulder length dark brown hair when "HUFFLEPUFF!" was bellowed.

"DURSLEY, ADAM!" became the first Slytherin. Albus recognized him as the "pig in a wig".

But "DOIUR, ARTHUR!" became the first Gryffindor. The boy grinned happily as he was patted on the back by the same people who had shunned Scorpius so meanly on the train.

As Scorpius glanced at one of the chief bullies, he noticed that the bully looked similar to Albus. He frowned. There was no way somebody as nice as Albus could be related to _him. _But as he looked closer at him, he knew Albus was too good to be true. Scorpius felt angry and upset, but he chided himself.

"Why would you ever think somebody would want to be your friend? If Dad doesn't even want you, then…" he winced as he remembered his Dad's parting words: "If you aren't put in Slytherin, there's no need for you to go to Hogwarts. Who would_ want_ to teach somebody as dumb as you are?"

Yet… a small feeling, persistent and stubborn, clawed his way up and out of his stomach. It took him a minute to figure out what this new-found emotion was.

Hope.

"FINNAGEN, LUCAS!" Albus watched the boy with freckles dotted all over his face as he swaggered over to the stool and put the hat on his head.

"GRYFFINDOR!" roared the hat. It only needed a second of consideration.

"FINNAGEN, AVA!" Albus guessed they were fraternal twins as the girl with pretty chocolate-brown hair walked up to the stool.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat took longer to decide her house, but it thundered it out louder than the boy's, as if to make up for lost time.

Finally, "MALFOY, SCORPIUS!" was shouted and Scorpius nearly ran up to the stool.

He knew he would lose his nerve if he waited another second.

"Oho! Fine mind I've got here!" the hat chuckled merrily to himself.

"So, plenty of knowledge, hmmm, I'll keep that in mind. Ah, a good dose of ambition, just like your ancestors, but not enough, so…Well, you're used to hard work, but… But what's this?" The Sorting Hat rambled on and on. Scorpius could almost sense little fingers poking and prodding his mind.

"Well, well, well… your father may not be happy about this, but remember he can't tell you what to do, so…" the hat delivered his words in a grave tone.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat bellowed, and before he could take off the hat and give it back to Professor Longbottom, the hat whispered urgently, "Good luck with your father, lad, and remember what I told you, _he can't tell you what to do!" _

Scorpius grimaced as he skirted around the bullies at the Gryffindor table. If his father found about this, well…He sighed.

Plopping himself down moodily at the end of the table, he waited for Rose and Albus to be sorted.

"Hi!" a voice tore him out of his thoughts. He looked at the girl who had spoken to him.

"Oh, err, hi," he muttered.

"My name's Ava, Ava Finna-"she was interrupted by a loud wail: "Where's the FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!" the boy sitting next to her whined.

Ava rolled her eyes and then whacked the boy on the back of his head.

"OW!" he complained.

"Sorry about that, he's my idiot twin brother, Lucas Finnagen," Ava explained.

"Also called Luke," he grinned at Scorpius

"Nice to meet you," Scorpius nodded his head politely.

"My name's Scorpius, Scorpius Malfoy," he added quickly.

"Cool!" Luke exclaimed.

"POTTER, ALBUS!" Scorpius turned to see Albus walking towards the hat.

Albus gulped as he laid the hat gently on his head.

"Ah, so we've got a tricky case here, eh? Not a Ravenclaw, definitely...You're loyal but not enough to be a Hufflepuff… So that leaves Slytherin or Gryffindor! It's up to you!" the hat asked kindly.

"Gryffindor, please, Gryffindor," Albus thought.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the applause Albus received was nearly deafening as he walked to the Gryffindor table.

He slid into the seat next to Scorpius, who, for some reason, looked glum.

"Hi!" the girl Albus had seen before, with the pretty chocolate-brown hair, smiled cheerfully at him.

"Hi," he replied. The girl introduced herself as Ava, and her brother as Luke. Pretty soon, the four were chatting away about Quidditch.

"WEASLEY, ROSE!" was the last name called, and Scorpius and Albus watched with bated breath as Rose clambered onto the stool and jammed the hat on her head.

"Ah, fine mind here," the hat said approvingly. "Ravenclaw, perhaps? But there's loyalty too, so maybe Hufflepuff? But courage, ah, there's a lot of that. So Gryffindor or Ravenclaw?" the hat mused to itself.

"Well, dear, I think you would be better off in GRYFFINDOR!" the hat roared on the last word, and applause shattered the silence.

Rose felt elated as she walked over to where Albus and Scorpius were sitting, next to a girl and a boy.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the hat being whisked away by Professor Longbottom and Professor McGonagall reenter the hall, her eyes and face solemn as if she had just been given some particularly bad news.

Albus patted her on the back. "We're Gryffindor's!" he shouted. Amid the laughter, nobody noticed him yelling.

Rose grinned. She couldn't believe it-she was finally a Gryffindor!

"Oh, hi!" a girl smiled at her.

"That's Ava, and that's Lucas, or Luke," Scorpius explained.

"Oh, cool! I love your name!"

"Aw, thanks! What's yours?"

"Rose Weasley. What's your surname?"

"That's such a sweet name! My surname's Finnagen,"

Friendly chatter continued between the two girls.

Lucas rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed.

He whispered to Scorpius and Albus, "My sister's a bit of a chatterbox, so never stay with her for too long- she'll bite your head off with all the talking,"

Albus and Scorpius laughed.

Professor McGonagall stepped up to the podium and a hush immediately spread over the room.

When all was quiet, she began to speak, her voice strong and never faltering.

"Welcome, all Hogwarts students! Before we begin our feast, I have a few announcements. First off, if you have heard that I am no longer the Headmaster of Hogwarts, I must announce that is correct. I have retired, however I will still be teaching Transfiguration. Our new Headmaster is delayed for now, but I assure you he shall be here soon.

Second of all, Madame Hooch, the flying instructor has decided to retire as well. Her spot is going to be taken over by Viktor Krum. Also, we have a new Defense against the Dark Art's teacher, Professor Stone.

Now, you may enjoy the feast!" she finished, and with a wave of her hand, food appeared, none of which Scorpius was able to name.

He piled a little bit of everything on his golden plate and dug in.

"Tshs twaest hwelanly," Lucas spoke with his mouth full. Ava looked at him in disgust and commanded, "Chew. Swallow. Talk."

Lucas swallowed and repeated, "This tastes heavenly,"

Scorpius agreed silently with Lucas.

After a while, dessert was served, and rows of scrumptious pastries, mouth-watering treacle-tarts, and assorted sweets appeared on the table.

For some strange reason, lemon-shaped candies were also served.

When they had all eaten their fill, Professor McGonagall stood up again and announced their prefects would lead them towards their dormitories.

"First Years! Please come along now!" a boy with a shiny Prefect badge motioned for them to come forward.

Albus, Rose, Scorpius, Luke, and Ava stuck together like magnets as they followed the boy.

Rose climbed the spiral staircase after the others, glancing at the paintings on the walls. With a gentle creak, she watched in shock as the staircase _moved _and waited for it to come back to the clump of eager (and quite sleepy) first-years.

They continued to walk for a while, until finally, on the 7th floor, the prefect stopped at a portrait of a rather plump looking lady.

"Password?" she asked pleasantly.

"Flobberworms," he replied.

The portrait swung open, revealing a cozy commons room. Golden tapestries adorned the scarlet walls and plush couches were gathered around a lit fire. Armchairs and sofas were arranged around the brick fireplace.

The prefect led the girls to a door on the left and the boys in a door to the right.

"Here is your dormitory. Sleep tight!" he said, before exiting the room.

Scorpius, Albus, Lucas, and another boy, (Albus recognized him as "THOMAS, EDWARD!") blearily chose their own bed and slept deeply through the night.

Little did they know, as they dreamt on, that events were taking place to put them all in grave danger.


	4. Chapter 4: Disguises

**Chapter Four: Disguises **

**_Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will ever own, the amazing books of Harry Potter. All rights go to the spectacular author, J.K. Rowling. _**

**_(A.N. Hi guys! I'm back again! Thanks SO much to _****_Jazzegirl _****_and Harry-Potter-Magic for reviewing my stories! To anybody who's still reading my (terrible) fanfic, check-out their profiles, because they're both fantastic writers!)_**

_7 Years Before:_

Cho Chang stumbled blearily into the kitchen, carrying a sleeping Adam. She knew today was the day, a day to escape from her horrible life with Dudley Dursley and into a world of revenge, sweet-tasting justice. She needed to give back the hurt that everybodu had thrust at her. That's why she smiled as she walked out the front door, into the waiting car that she knew would be there.

With those steps, Cho Chang walked out of her life and into a twisted abyss of lies and terror.

"Ready?" the man craned her neck to see his spy and vital agent sitting happily in the backseat with her child. She nodded her head, long strands of silky black hair drifting across her pale skin.

The man smiled. He had found the two perfect agents for his plan, one who needed revenge, and another, a hapless fool who he could always call on. Soon enough, Draxyen Orcuch would make Harry Potter utterly miserable.

_Present Moment:_

The man scowled as the hairdresser cut his long straw-colored hair. He didn't like the disguise, but he knew it was necessary to get into Hogwarts. He couldn't risk Minerva McGonagall recognizing him, especially as he looked so much like his father.

He paid the woman who had cut his hair, pausing to examine his new hair in a dusty mirror.

The bell tinkled merrily as he hurried out the door. His black shoes tapped out a quick rhythm as they carried him to the large building across the barbershop.

The building looked old, and in shambles. The windows were missing panes of glass, and the remaining windows were cracked or shattered. The brick walls were chipped and fading their earthy, rusty color. A lopsided sign hung on the main door: "DANGER, DO NOT ENTER!"

The man glanced around to make sure nobody was looking, then pushed open the door and slipped inside.

He walked to an open room and laid out his supplies. Surveying them all, he chose the first one and got to work.

Three hours later, the man surveyed his appearance warily.

From curly straw-colored hair, he had gone to jet-black, sleek, and neatly-combed hair,

His eyes had transformed from an icy-blue, to a pale green, like the first shoots of grass after a long, hard winter.

Pale skin, almost unhealthy looking, had changed to the rich color of amber. His freckles had disappeared as well.

He smiled to himself in his mirror.

In just three hours, Samuel Crouch had changed. He could now take his place as Hogwarts headmaster, and avenge his mother and father.

If Harry Potter was untouchable, the "boy who lived", his sons was certainly not. Samuel Crouch was now Draxyen Orcuch, Headmaster of Hogwarts, the muggleborn champion, and soon-to-be murderer of Albus Severus Potter.


	5. Chapter 5: Hogwarts and Howlers!

**Chapter 5: Hogwarts and Howlers! **

**_Disclaimer: Harry Potter is an amazing work of fiction, which sadly, I do not own. All rights go to the spectacular Mrs. J.K. Rowling!  
_**

Albus woke up early, shaking his head to clear away the last remains of sleep. He stared blankly at the scarlet canopy overhead before realizing a very important fact: He was at Hogwarts!

A jolt of excitement coursed through him, sending quivers up his body.

He rolled out of bed to get ready, the bed creaking and moaning as he did so.

He saw Scorpius already up and ready, flipping through a book. His white-blonde hair was already combed and his Hogwarts Robes were spotless. A green book-bag leaned against his left leg.

"Hi," Albus mumbled.

Scorpius's head immediately shot up, his face as guilty as could be. He visibly relaxed upon seeing it was Albus, and he tried, rather unsuccessfully, to hide the book he was reading.

"Hi," Scorpius muttered back, averting his eyes.

Albus narrowed his eyes. What was Scorpius hiding? Albus mentally shrugged. It probably was just something private, like a journal.

"GOAL!" a boy screamed as he fell out of the bed.

"Ouch…" he rubbed his head, yawning.

"Where am I?" he asked blearily.

Scorpius looked at the boy.

"Hogwarts," he replied.

"Oh, yeah. Nice to meet you! The name's Edward Thomas, what's yours?" the boy asked, standing up and stretching.

"Scorpius Malfoy," he answered.

Edward concentrated for a second.

"Malfoy… now where have I heard the name Malfoy before…" Scorpius's eyes widened. He now knew the truth about his father, and he wished he didn't. Most of all, he wished nobody else did too. Hopefully Edward wouldn't know and spread the word.

Edward shrugged it off and then turned to Albus.

"Albus Potter," he said, in response to his puzzled look.

Edward's eyes widened to the size of softballs.

"Wicked," he breathed.

"You're the chosen one's son!" he said excitedly.

'Err, what?" Albus looked at Scorpius as if to say "Help me!" Scorpius shrugged, feigning confusion.

"You know, you're Harry Potter's son! The chosen one, the boy who lived! You know the one who defeated Voldemort?!" Edward was practically rambling now, gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Voldemort?" Albus was looking at Edward like he was bonkers.

"You-You don't know who Voldemort is? You-Know-Who? The reason why your grandparents aren't….." the boy trailed off, looking guilty.

"What are you talking about? I have grandparents!" Albus felt his temper flare up. Edward was talking nonsense. Yet, a memory, small and unbidden, rose up at Edward's words:

_Godric's Hollow: 4 Years Ago, Halloween:_

_"Dad?" Albus looked into the green eyes of his father and shivered slightly. His father had instructed him to hold tightly to his arms, and then Albus felt like he was being suffocated, stretched and pulled through a too tight tube. Then, with a gasp of cold, crisp, clean fresh air, they had arrived somewhere, a place where frosty snow was falling lightly and golden lights flickered in the distance. _

_"Where are we?" Albus whispered. Somehow it didn't seem right to speak too loudly, not when his father was looking so sad, and distant. But Albus had to speak, to escape the silence that pressed in on him like the dark at night when he was all alone. _

_His father took a while to respond, pain flaring up in his green eyes that were the same as his._

_"We're at Godric's Hollow, where my parents are buried," he told him, speaking in a soft, pained voice._

_"Why aren't they alive?" the words escaped from his lips before Albus could stop himself. _

_"They died when I was a baby, fighting for a better world like Teddy's parents were," he replied. _

_"Oh," said Albus. He couldn't imagine not knowing Dad and Mum. Albus sighed and snuggled into his father. _

_Snowflakes gathered on his face, and Harry flicked his wrist and conjured a blanket. Slipping it over his son, he smiled slightly, remembering the time Hermione forced Ron and him to magically knit blankets in response to his comments about SPEW in their 5__th__ year. _

_Harry guiltily slipped a hand inside the small beaded bag he had stolen from Hermione and extracted an old worn tent. With a flick of his wand and many protective spells later, he carried the sleeping Albus inside and laid him gently on the bed. _

_Then, with a shudder when he thought of Ginny's wrath when she realized he had mysteriously disappeared along with her middle child, he tiptoed out of the tent and in the direction of the house he had spent only a year in. _

_He paused at the gate, where new graffiti adorned the rusty old gate, "Long Live Harry Potter!" and even, "We always knew you were the chosen one," He smiled and shook his head fondly, then paused to kneel at two headstones, running his hand over the quote etched deeply into the white marble. _

_"The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." If only they knew, at that fateful moment, there was nothing to fear from death, Harry wondered, would they all be alive today? He would never know, but he could only wish he could make his children's lives better today, to make sure they never felt the same crushing fear, the danger and panic that suffocated him so long ago. _

_And from that moment on, Harry Potter vowed to never tell his children what happened then. Plans would have to be made, making sure they never found out, but he knew it would be worth it. They had to know a little, but only a little, no more, nothing less._

_Harry placed several lilies on the graves, and then, brushing cold, frosty snow from his pants, returned to the tent, where he gathered up Albus and returned home. _

_His somber mood was only interrupted by a furious Ginny Weasley, and an equally upset Hermione. Harry gulped and sighed meekly. It was at times like this when he wished Ginny didn't have an earsplitting Weasley temper even louder than her Mum's. "_

"Albus? ALBUS? Are you OK?" Albus blinked. Scorpius's pale face swam into view, looking concerned.

"Wha-Yeah, I'm fine," he murmured, still lost in memories of the past.

Scorpius looked suspicious, but he didn't push it.

"You should go and get ready. Breakfast starts in about 15 minutes." He told the fidgety Albus.

"Err, yeah, I'll go do that," he muttered, distracted.

After he had gotten ready, the boys decided to try to find their way down to the Great Hall. Several wrong turns later:

"No, I thought it was right!"

"I'm sure it was left!"

"Trust me!"

"Well, I've only known you for a day!"

"Alright, alright, but I'm sure it's right!"

"Ha, Right's right! Get it!"

"You agree with me, so let's go right!"

"Oh, fine!"

The boys found their way to the Great Hall, where most of Hogwarts was already sitting down and laughing.

They sat next to a hungry Luke, who was demolishing an entire stack of pancakes.

Albus shivered. He had never seen somebody eat that many pancakes, unless you were counting Uncle Ron, who was by far, the fastest eater he had ever seen.

"Wafuat thouk youso jlug?" he asked.

"I think he's trying to say, what took you so long?" Ava translated, laughing as she sat down next to Albus.

"How did you decode that?" Albus looked at Ava in awe.

She shrugged. "Years of painful experience," she said dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. Luke glared at Ava.

"Stop being such a drama queen! Do I need to recount the time you-"

"LUKE!" Ava turned a color of red previously unknown to mankind. Luke snickered, shoveling in another bite of pancake in an already full mouth.

His eyes twinkled mischievously. "Just remember, next time you're insulting me, watch your back!"

Albus turned to Lucas. "Wait, so she-"

"ALBUS!" Ava mock-glared at him, but the glare still had him cowering in his seat. Rose laughed as she joined the table.

"Albus, you look like a whipped puppy, Ava, you've turned really red, Scorpius looks like he wants to laugh but he's scared of Ava for some reason, and Luke's eying the next batch of pancakes." Rose giggled as she observed her new friends.

"I don't look like a whipped puppy!"

"I'm not really red! Luke, lay off of those pancakes!"

"I'm not scared of her!"

"I WANT MORE PANCAKES!"

"No, Luke!"

"Please!"

"No!"

"Pretty please with a cherry on top!"

"No! As in N-O!"

Before they knew it, the entire five were laughing like maniacs.

It was just Albus's luck that James had to come at that time.

"Hey, little brother! What's up?" James smirked, towering over Albus and his new friends as he flashed a grin at them.

Albus felt his stomach lurch. Like it or not, James was always stealing Albus's friends away. At school, the only friends he ever made just wanted to meet James, and not him.

But Albus couldn't hold that against James. He was still incredibly caring and sweet at the rarest of times, like when Albus was really upset.

"Hi James!" he greeted.

Scorpius instinctively lowered his eyes, focusing on the stack of mouth-watering waffles in front of him.

He was a bit too late. James had already spotted him.

"Albus, why are you hanging out with him?" James growled.

"With who?" Albus asked, a little testily. He didn't like the fact his brother had to watch over him like a hawk as instructed by their overprotective Mum.

"That kid," James said pointing at Scorpius.

Scorpius felt his stomach twist into uneasy knots. Now Albus or Ava or Rose or Luke would never be his friend!

"Why can't I?" the answer surprised even Albus.

James straightened his back, his mouth agape.

"Because, he's…" James trailed off, clearly not wanting to say it in front of the small crowd that had gathered to watch the fight.

James rolled his eyes at an eager 1st year Ravenclaw who was looking excitedly back and forth between them, like it was an interesting match of table-tennis.

"Come with me," he muttered, dragging Albus by the arm. As soon as they left the Gryffindor table, he began to speak in a low, cold, voice, his hazel eyes dancing with fire and hate,

"That's Dad's enemy's son! You shouldn't be talking with him!"

"So? His son can be different!"

"Are you saying Dad doesn't have good judgment when it comes to friends and enemies?"

"No, but-"

"Albus, listen to me! I forbid you to talk to him!"

"But-"

"No! He's too-"

"He's _my_ friend, and I'm not letting you decide who can make a decision for me! I don't care if he's Dad's enemy's son, he's a different person entirely!" he snapped back at James.

James glared at Albus before stalking away. Albus blinked away angry tears that rose in his eyes before returning to the Gryffindor table.

Why did James have to interfere in everything? Why couldn't he be nice and be happy Albus for once had a good, nice, friend?! Albus felt an overwhelming urge to scream and shout at James as a lump rose in his throat, but he clamped it down and rubbed his eyes angrily.

"James being a git as usual?" Rose asked sympathetically.

"Yeah," Albus muttered, a he poured a generous amount of maple syrup onto his chocolate-chip pancakes.

"Students of Hogwarts, if I may, please give me your full attention for a few minutes!" Albus snapped his head back up to see a man addressing them all.

He looked to be in his mid-twenties, with dark skin and spring-green eyes that sparkled in the night. His black hair was neatly combed into a perfect shape, and he gave off an extremely blinding white smile.

"Hello! My name is Draxyen Orcuch and I am your new Hogwarts Headmaster! I am delighted to see all the new students that, by the end of the year, will be filled to the brim with knowledge!" he chuckled at his own little joke, and then resumed talking.

"In a few minutes, the owls will come bearing news. If you are new to this routine, please do not scream, as I do not wish anybody injures on the first day of such a magical school!"

True to his words, the owls did come a few minutes later. Barn owls of all sizes swooped down to their owners, bearing packages and notes from home.

Albus saw Hedwig, his snowy-white owl dive downwards in a spectacular plunge, nearly crashing into several other owls on the way.

He smiled as she landed on the tablecloth, hooting loudly. He stroked her beak with one hand, and then carefully untied the letter from around her leg. She hooted indignantly, and then pecked at a bit of toast on Albus's plate before flying off.

"That's such a beautiful owl!" Ava said, gazing at Hedwig soaring upwards.

"Thanks!" Albus replied, feeling proud.

He slit open the message with one hand, smiling as he read it.

_Dear Albus,_

_Congratulations for being sorted into Gryffindor! Neville sent us an owl late last night, so thank him for us, will you, dear?_

_ Also, could you send word about Rose's house? Uncle Ron has been pacing all night-he's driving us bonkers! _

_I hope you've made some new friends and you're enjoying Hogwarts! _

_Luna says hi, and wants me to tell you she misses you and hopes you'll come back for Christmas. _

_Dad wishes you good luck in your classes! How is the new headmaster? _

_Write back soon!_

_-Love, Mum and Dad_

Albus grabbed a bit of spare parchment and a quill from his bag, trying his best to not spill syrup on the creamy-yellowish color of the parchment.

_Dear Mum and Dad, _

_Hogwarts is a blast! I've made a bunch of new friends; even Scorpius is now my friend! Tell Uncle Ron not to worry, I'll make sure Rose doesn't get "too friendly" with him! Rose got sorted into Gryffindor, same as Scorpius and the rest of my friends. _

_Their names are Ava Finnigan, Lucas Finnigan (or Luke), Scorpius Malfoy, and, of course, Rose! __Rose is getting along splendidly with Ava,__ as I am with Luke and Scorpius__. She's reading over my shoulder right now and demanding I cross all of this out. Apparently, I don't know who her friends are. Now she's hissing at me she didn't mean it that way and forcing me to cross this all out. _

_A funny thing happened today – somebody called Dad famous! Apparently, he's the "chosen one", or something of those sorts. Also, he said you defeated __"Voldamort"__Voldimort __"Voldemort". His name was Edward Thomas; perhaps you helped them out in your Auror job?_

_Tell Luna I said hi back, and I'm definitely coming home during Christmas! I don't want to miss Grand mum Molly's delicious cooking! _

_Thanks for the luck Dad, but I hope I won't need it! _

_The new headmaster's fine, but he has a strange name: Draxyen Orcuch. Do you know him? Also, the new flying instructor is Viktor Krum-didn't Aunt Hermione mention him before? _

_We have a new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher-Professor Stone! I wonder what he'll be like. _

_Write back soon, _

_Albus S. Potter_

He finished the letter, signing his name with an unnecessary flourish that matched his jocund*, jaunty mood.

He looked up to see Hedwig returning to him, along with another owl, a tawny barn owl carrying a dark red envelope in its beak.

Much to his surprise, the tawny barn owl dropped the red envelope onto Scorpius's waffles, and then swooped away. Hedwig gingerly let Albus tie the mail on her leg, and then she was off, impatiently making her way back to the owlry, he supposed.

He looked at Scorpius who had gone deathly pale and was sinking lower and lower into his seat as if hoping not to be noticed.

"What's that?" he asked Scorpius, now inching away from the envelope slowly but surely.

"A howler from my Father," he mumbled.

Albus half-winced and half-grinned, remembering the time Uncle Ron had recounted the memory of him getting one from Grand mum Molly in his 2nd year.

Then, out of nowhere, the letter began smoking and fizzing, until, with an explosion, Draco Malfoy's voice came thundering out of the envelope.

"SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY! YOU HAVE BROUGHT SHAME TO THE MALFOY FAMILY! NO MALFOY HAS EVER BECOME A GRYFFINDOR, EVER! MALFOY'S ARE NEVER GRYFFINDOR'S! NEXT THING I KNOW, YOU'LL BE FRIENDS WITH THAT POTTER BOY!"

At this point, Scorpius covered his face in his hands, not meeting Albus's eyes.

"Oh, hush, Scorpius don't believe your Father, he's just upset. But, dear, do try to change your house! I'm sure they'll bend and let you become a Slytherin."

The voice that interrupted the loud, booming voice was that of a lady's, sweet and lilting. Astoria Greengrass was having a difficult time calming her husband down.

"Oh, please, don't listen to my son and his miserable excuse for a wife! Be in Gryffindor and be proud of it!"

A third voice, old haughty and proud snarled out. Albus thought he could distinguish the slightest traces of a lady's voice, buried under layers of old age, pain, struggle, and just a thin, sheer gloss of pride at her grandson.

"SCORPIUS HYPERION MALFOY! I AM COMING TO HOGWARTS AND CHANGING YOUR HOUSE IMMEDIATELY! NO MALFOY WILL EVER BECOME A GRYFFINDOR!"

The first voice spoke angrily, and then, with a small "Poof!" the envelope disappeared into a pile of ashes on Scorpius's waffles.

Scorpius looked distraught. He shoved a hand through his hair and growled in frustration.

Ava stood up, glaring at the people who were snickering and laughing at Scorpius. They immediately backed away, absolute terror etched on their faces.

"Sorry about that," Scorpius said, looking at his now ruined plate of waffles. Black, sooty ashes covered the Belgium waffles so artistically crafted. The whipped cream was now covered in a thick covering of black ash and the cherry was burnt off, giving a lingering smell of smoke that drifted up in wispy spirals and disappeared in the blue sky above.

"A waste of good waffles, really," thought Luke mournfully.

"You don't need to be sorry for that, it was your father," Luke said quietly, surprisingly sympathetic.

"He's right," Albus agreed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see James mouthing, "I told you so! Stay away from him!", but he pretended not to notice, which of course, infuriated James even more.

"Well, you heard what one of them said: Be a Gryffindor and be proud of it!" Ava said, hoping to cheer him up.

"Yes, seeing as you already," Albus made little quotes with his fingers, "befriended that Potter boy, now you just need to be proud of being a Gryffindor!" he said cheerily, slapping Scorpius heartily on the back.

Scorpius reddened.

"Sorry about that part – I don't think our fathers get along too well," Scorpius said quietly.

Rose came up behind them and laughed.

"Remember what my Dad said before we left – make sure to beat him at every test?!" Ava chuckled at that one.

Scorpius reddened some more, but he joked, "That won't be too much of a problem for you!"

Rose turned the same color of red Albus had seen on Ava. Ava saw it as well and couldn't help but tease, "Really red as well, Rose?"

The tips of her ears turned as red as the embers of a fire,

"Shut-up Ava," Rose muttered jokingly.

The five looked at their schedules. Apparently they had Potions with the Slytherin's first period. Ava led their little group forward, Rose helping when needed to offer directions.

Finally, a little before class began, they reached the Dungeons, where potions class was held. Black, glum walls closed in on them, and flames inside torches flickered and flared, casting their writhing shadows on the wall.

Albus shivered. The dungeons were creepy, and cold.

"Hello there!" Albus jumped at the sound of the unknown voice.

A rather plump man, wearing a striped suit and an old, tattered hat, was puffing and wheezing as he rounded the corner and beckoned for them to enter a room.

"My name is Professor Slughorn, and I will be your potions teacher this year. Now, today we will be brewing the Cure for Boils, a fairly simple potion. Please go to an empty space and set up your cauldron." Professor Slughorn walked around the room, inspecting cauldrons.

"Alright, do you see those instructions on the board? When I say start, follow those instructions to the letter! No fooling around will be permitted in my class!" he said, a bit too sternly for Ava's taste.

"Ready, set, go!" he yelled.

Ava glanced at the board.

"Add 6 Snake Fangs to the mortar." She mumbled the instruction under her breath,

Looking in her potions kit, she spotted snake fangs and took out six. They felt cold and hard, and Ava shuddered to think of what the snake might have eaten.

She dropped them into the mortar, each one making a "thump" as it hit the bottom below.

She began to grind them with the pestle, pounding it out furiously until they were like powder with only small bits and pieces mixed in.

"Add four measures of the crushed fangs to the cauldron," Ava dropped them in, trying to be careful and not spill any on the floor. Despite her caution, a lot fell to the ground and Ava guiltily swept it under a desk with her foot.

"Heat the mixture to 250o for 10 seconds." Ava frowned. How was she supposed to do that?

She glanced around and saw Albus peering at his cauldron all over, looking for a switch or knob.

She stifled a laugh as he crouched down to check if there was a knob under the cauldron, and then banged his head on the rim of the cauldron. He extracted his head with difficulty and this time Ava let out a giggle. He was covered with a black, fine gritty powder which he was trying (unsuccessfully) to brush off his face. Hearing the laugh he turned around and saw Ava grinning evilly at him.

Albus groaned inwardly. "Brilliant. My first class and I'm covered in soot! Plus, I already have somebody laughing at me!" he thought.

Rose, who was standing next to him, turned around and immediately arched an eyebrow. Albus reddened and muttered something indistinguishable.

Ava joined them silently, laughing as Albus muttered a bunch of phrases that sounded like, "blasted cauldron!" "I never liked potions," and so on.

Rose rolled her eyes and flicked her wand, pointing it in the direction of Albus's soot-covered face.

"Terego" Rose muttered. Hopefully this spell would work. She had seen Dad use it on multiple occasions. It was one of the only cleaning spells he happened to know.

Albus felt an intense heat scar his face for a moment, but the pain was fleeting, and Albus could only feel a slight blistering sensation afterwards.

Rose peered at his face.

"Oh, wow, that cleaning spell really worked!" she said happily.

"You also have smoke rising from your face," she said casually, in the same tone she might use to say, ""I was in the library,"

"WHAT?" Albus yelped, drawing a few curious onlookers to cast an inquiring eye towards them.

"Couldn't you have used that spell on my waffles?" Scorpius asked Rose, seemingly appearing from nowhere. Rose jumped, surprised.

"Well, I didn't really know what was going to happen if I used that spell," she told him as soon as her feet had touched solid ground.

"Wait, wait, wait," Luke walked to the little crowd and held up his hands in the Universal gesture for "slow down!"

"You're saying you valued Scorpius's waffles more than you valued Albus's face?" he raised a skeptical brow.

"Actually, at the Gryffindor table, there were a lot more people who could have gotten hurt had the spell spiraled out of control. Here there was only Albus, and I figured he wouldn't want to walk around all day with soot on his face!" Rose explained.

"Excellent reasoning, my dear!" Professor Slughorn boomed.

The little crowd of friends immediately whirled around, their Hogwarts robes whipping around their legs.

"Your name is…" Slughorn questioned, peering down intently at the girl in front of him.

"Rose, Rose Weasley. I think my mother vaguely mentioned you – perhaps you knew her? Her name was Hermione Granger," she answered.

"Oho!" he exclaimed, his pale-green eyes now glowing happily.

"Well, Ms. Weasley, would you mind staying back a few minutes after class ends?"

His face roved greedily over the students like he was a starving man surveying an enormous feast. His eyes passed through Luke and Ava, but seemed to shudder at the sight of Scorpius's icy-gray eyes, pale complexion, and white-blonde hair.

His eyes widened dangerously to that of a softballs when he saw Albus fiddling with the hem of his robes.

"Oho," he whispered softly, a triumphant grin already snaking his way up to his face. His walrus mustache, the exact color of Scorpius's eyes, hung limply over his Cheshire-cat like smile.

"Mr. Potter and Ms. Weasley, please stay back a few minutes after class. I have…a few matters to discuss with you," he chortled merrily, and then resumed his casual stroll throughout the classroom.

Albus and Rose nodded in unison, although with varied levels of enthusiasm; Rose bobbed her head up and down like a muggle bobble-head her mum had shown her, while Albus nodded stiffly, as if he really didn't want to go.

They all dispersed their separate ways, ready to try once more to heat their cauldron. Ava glanced around once more, looking at what everybody else was doing. Many were simply looking around as well, and a few were flicking their wand dejectedly in the direction of the cauldron. Only a few were persistently raising their hands, trying to see if Professor Slughorn would help them. She glanced at the other side of the room to see what Luke was doing.

Luke was stabbing his wand at the base of the cauldron angrily.

Ava's eyes widened. A memory of Luke doing the same thing to try to get the mac and cheese hot popped into her head.

She lunged towards Luke, trying to warn him, but it was too late.

"ARGHHHH!" Luke screamed as he jumped back quickly. Wickedly white-hot flames were licking the tip of Luke's wand greedily, and Luke dropped it, hearing it clatter to the floor before retreating to behind a desk.

A couple of Slytherin's snickered, but Ava groaned as she realized what was going to happen next.

"BOOM!" the explosion was massive, making contact with the cauldron and making it explode, showering glop's of the potion everywhere.

Many first-years covered their face with their hands, shielding themselves from the full brunt of the attack. Albus ducked downwards, pulling Rose, Scorpius, and Ava down with him.

Luke emerged from his perch behind the desk.

"Sorry!" he called out.

"S'okay," Scorpius responded, getting up and brushing the mess from his robes.

"Scourgify," Rose muttered, siphoning off most off the mess from her robes. She repeated this with Albus and Scorpius, who looked grateful.

Slughorn emerged from his desk, coughing and spluttering.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked, lumbering over to the ruined mess of a potion. Rose privately thought that Professor Slughorn seemed to panic a lot more than the students did as he inspected each and every child thoroughly before they were allowed to resume tending to their potion.

Professor Slughorn sighed deeply.

"It seems _I_ must properly light your cauldrons," he said, his face looking disappointed.

"However, does anyone know the spell?" he inquired, curious.

Rose's hand immediately shot up, more like a rocket than anything.

"Well, that's not a surprise," thought Scorpius.

Albus hesitantly raised his hand as well, hoping what he had learned from his father was correct.

Professor Slughorn's eyes landed on Rose first.

" ," he nodded his head in her direction.

"Incendio is a charm used to produce fire. If done properly, it emits a jet of fire from the owner's wand." Rose answered quickly, all in one breath.

"Exactly, my dear! Ten points to Gryffindor!" he beamed at Rose.

He walked around the room, lighting cauldrons as he did.

When he had lit Ava's cauldron, she glanced back at the board.

"Wave your wand," Ava shrugged, feeling pretty foolish, but she waved her wand anyways.

"Leave to brew and return in 33-45 minutes". Ava set up a timer by her desk and wandered over to where Rose was standing. She had just waved her wand as well. "Hi," she greeted.

Rose spun around and then relaxed when she figured out it was Ava. "Hi!" she replied, smiling.

"What's your wand?" Ava asked, curious.

"My wand's elm and unicorn core, 12 inches and slightly bendy. What's yours?" Rose said proudly.

"Cedar, unicorn Hair, 12 ½ inches, surprisingly bendy," Ava responded automatically. She had gotten so used to muttering the measurements in a happy voice as she walked around her house this summer; it was now an automatic response.

"Cool!" Rose smiled.

"AH!" a boy leaped back in fright, his potion bubbling and overflowing all over the floor. White bubbles foamed crazily over the rim, and hissing pops were heard as the bubbles touched the cold stone floor. Professor Slughorn hurried over, puffing and huffing.

"STAND BACK!" he bellowed, waving his arms like a demented windmill.

"Evanesco!" he muttered, and with a quick flick of his wand, the potion disappeared, leaving only a pale Slytherin behind, shaking with fright.

The boy promptly burst into tears, running out of the classroom in embarrassment.

"Oh dear," said Slughorn sadly.

"One student gone already and we haven't even finished the first class yet!" he said wearily.

"I'm getting too old for this," he said as he hobbled back to his desk.

"Will anybody please go out and find the poor boy?" he asked the students, his eyes roving over the classroom.

"Ah, Mr. Potter, and Ms.….-"

"Finnigan," Ava answered promptly.

"Finnigan, it seems you still have a while before your potions are needed to be attended to. Why don't you go and find the poor boy?" he suggested, gesturing with an old gnarled hand towards the door.

Ava nodded, already halfway out the door, Albus hurrying after her.

"Where could he have gone?" panted Albus, frantically trying to keep up with her long strides.

"I don't know," she said casually, veering to the left as the corridor suddenly twisted to the left.

"Wait…then where…are you… going?" he queried, his question punctuated by huffs as he jogged to keep up with her.

Ava didn't reply, but instead held a finger to her lips, motioning to be quiet. Albus frowned, looking puzzled, but he followed her as she slipped down a corridor silently, her long black robe seeming to melt into the wall.

Albus walked after her, making enough noise to seem like a large, clumsy, giant compared to her silent, cat-like approach.

She glared at him, her face almost pleading with him to be quiet. Albus felt his cheeks turn a deeper red than a rose. How was a _girl_ better than him?

She pushed a door open gently, using her foot to muffle the sound as she gently, inch by inch, slid the door open so she could squeeze her slender body through. Albus carefully sucked in a breath, sliding his body through.

The door opened into yet again another corridor, where a boy sat hunched against the gray walls, sniffling and wiping away tears that seemed to be endless, spilling out over his red eyes and slipping down a deeply tanned face.

"Are you OK?" Ava spoke softly, worry etched deeply into the lines of her pretty face. The boy snapped his head up instantly, looking sad and afraid. He narrowed his eyes at them, but Albus could see the sadness that lurked in his eyes, like he was broken inside.

"Yeah," he mumbled, his voice cracking slightly as he looked down, his eyes bloodshot and puffy.

Albus stood uncomfortably, wishing more than anything to just get out of this sticky mess.

The boy stood up, brushing dirt off his Hogwarts Robes.

"Err, shall we go back then?" Albus asked, quickly wishing he hadn't when Ava glowered angrily at him.

Her face seemed to be communicating a "Shut-up-and-be-quiet-or-I-will-kill-you" glare that had Albus cowering in his sneakers.

"Yeah," the boy muttered again.

"So, what's your name?" Albus asked hurriedly, trying very hard not to look at Ava's face, which, he supposed, was probably turning a lovely shade of furious red that meant he was absolutely doomed, and bound to be dead by lunchtime.

"William Parkinson-Zabini," he muttered, looking down at the floor.

"Cool name! Aren't you excited for Hogwarts? I know I am! Do you know any spells yet? Oh, are you a Gryffindor or Slytherin? What do you think would be your best subject?" Ava chattered on, bouncing on her heels as she skipped/trotted to the Potions room.

William blinked, clearly taken back by Ava's attempt to be friendly; he saw it as more of a deluge of questions he did not want to give an honest answer to.

"Thanks, err, yeah, I love Hogwarts so far! I don't know any spells yet, but I'm hoping to learn. Slytherin, the same as you two, right? No clue, guess I'll have to wait and see!" William modulated his voice, the same way he had always done at home, lying, making his voice shift up a couple of degrees on the excitement meter when necessary.

It was always the same. Lies, lies and more lies, always running from the truth. But, to be fair, he didn't know what the truth was anymore, so how could he return to something that wasn't even there anymore?

"Actually, we're in Gryffindor," Albus blurted out. The boy's face seemed to droop for less than a millisecond, but then it instantly perked up again.

"Oh," he said awkwardly.

Thankfully they had already reached the potions classroom, which spared them the trouble of talking to William any longer.

Professor Slughorn was a bit preoccupied in helping a young Gryffindor with his potion, so the three slipped in silently; making sure their potion was doing alright, or in Williams case, creating a new one.

Ava breathed a sigh of relief when she saw she had a few minutes left on her timer. She squinted to see the board through the haze of smoke spiraling up from the cauldrons in front of her.

"Add 4 horned slugs to your cauldron," Ava shuddered but slid the slimy, greasy slugs to the edge of the desk with a tentative finger.

Another quick glance at her timer showed she had about 1 minute before she had to drop the disgusting creatures into the depths of the cauldron.

"Ten minutes before class finishes!" Professor Slughorn boomed.

Ava gulped and steeled her nerves. She grabbed a snail and threw it into the cauldron quickly. "PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!" Finally all four were done, and Ava breathed a sigh of relief.

She cast her brown eyes to the board.

"Take cauldron off of fire and then add 2 porcupine quills to the potion."

Ava grabbed the rim of the cauldron and, her arms groaning with the effort, gently set it down on the floor.

She dropped the porcupine quills into the cauldron, each one making a "PLOP" as it hit the gunk of the potion.

"Stir 5 times, clockwise," Ava found a large spoon and, shrugging, dropped it into the cauldron, and stirring it to the right. The thick, gloopy potion was difficult to stir, but by the 5th stroke, it was becoming easier.

She finished, taking the spoon out of the potion and wiping the heavy wooden spoon with a cloth.

A pink haze was emerging from the cauldron, a misty sugar-floss **(A.N. I think that's the British version of cotton candy, but I'm not exactly sure) **type of pink.

"Aaaand…TIMES UP!" Professor Slughorn bellowed dramatically.

He glanced at each and every potion. Arthur Doiur was beaming with pride as Slughorn awarded him five potions for a potion "Well done!"

His potion had red, licorice-colored smoke rising up from his cauldron. Ava glanced down at her pink potion, hoping it was acceptable.

Slughorn stopped at both Albus's and Ava's potion, both which had identical rosy-pink smoke rising up from the potion.

"Oho! We have a few winners here!" he chuckled to himself.

"These potions are brewed to perfection! Mr. Potter, Ms. Finnigan, you both have an amazing gift for potion-making!" he smiled merrily to himself.

"Now, I believe the Gryffindor's have Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaw's, while the Slytherin's have Herbology with the Hufflepuff's. Well, what are you waiting for? Go on, shoo!" and with those final, parting words, Slughorn ushered them out of the classroom.

They all headed towards Defense Against the Dark Arts, laughing and talking about their potions class on the way.

"One question," Albus said, a frown crossing his face, "How did Professor Slughorn know my name?"

Ava shrugged, and then pulled the door open to the classroom.

The teacher was standing there, nervously slicking back golden-white hair.

He cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I am your teacher, Draco Malfoy,"

**(A.N. Sorry, I know I didn't update in such a long time! D: Anyways, I'm back now, and I'm deciding on a sort of contest. **

**If you can find out from which famous poem I got the word jocund ( look for the little * in this chapter) from without using the internet, I'll read and review every single story you have. They'll be good, long, reviews. If it's K+ or below, I'll try to see if I can favorite or follow it.  
**

**Bonus points if you can name the poet. I'll put a shout-out in my story for you if you can name the poet to the famous poem I got the word from. All without using the internet.  
**

**Or, if you're stumped, you can figure out what reference I made to Albus Dumbledore in Chapter 3... It's first come, first serve (*hint, hint*), so if I see somebody has given me an answer before another reviewer, it'll go to the first reviewer/answerer...  
**

**Good Luck! You have until I update to figure it out!)  
**


End file.
